The dishes came too fast initially: one starter and three mains were placed on our table within five minutes of each other, with the two other starters we ordered coming at the end of the meal.
Marinated cold chicken in spicy sauce (HK$138) was a good start to the meal. The flavours of the sauce were a little muted, but they were balanced, and the moist chicken wasn’t fridge-cold.
They were out of razor clams for the dish of wild pickled pepper razor clams (HK$88 each) so our waiter suggested scallops (HK$108 each). This was my least favourite dish. The scallops, served in the shell, were tender, but their sweetness was obliterated by the chillies.
Wok-fried prawns with three kinds of pepper (HK$328) were spicy in another way. This suffered slightly because the clay pot they came in sat on the table with the lid on as we ate the other dishes served at the same time, so the prawns were a little overcooked and hard. But their meat, contrasting with the pepper spice, was sweet.
We thoroughly enjoyed the spicy Sichuan-style stewed Angus sliced beef (HK$368). Other places serve this in a huge bowl with lots of broth, oil and chillies. This was served in a smaller bowl, with a greater proportion of edible ingredients – lots of tender beef, chunks of ox blood, large pieces of cucumber, fresh bamboo, bean sprouts and wide, slippery fun pei noodles.
We also loved the two starters served at the end of the meal. Chinese lettuce with sesame sauce (HK$68) had crisp, sweet lettuce leaves with a creamy dressing; this was a good contrast to the other, spicier dishes.
Hot and sour potato noodles (HK$58) was another cooling dish that soothed our tongues. The sweet potato noodles were springy and resilient, while the dressing was tart, garlicky and just mildly spicy.
Dessert of sweet almond cream with egg white (HK$38 a bowl) was light, hot and comforting.
Taste of Chuan & Yuè, 28/F V Point, 18 Tang Lung Street, Causeway Bay, tel: 3955 8190. About HK$475 per person without drinks or the service charge.
